Tripod joints are used, for example, as side shafts of motor vehicles. In this case, the tripod joints are used for transmitting driving torques between two driving elements of a drive train. The tripod joints permit a relative displacement and a relative pivoting of the driving elements to be compensated for. For the use in the case of side shafts of a motor vehicle, relative movements of this type are caused by spring deflections of the vehicle wheels.
Conventional tripod joints have a joint outer part and a joint inner part held therein. Rolling bodies are inserted in the force flux between the joint outer part and joint inner part. With a rolling movement of the rolling bodies, the joint outer part is axially displaceable and/or pivotable with respect to the joint inner part about an axis transverse to the plane defined by the longitudinal axes of the joint outer part and of the joint inner part with the transmission of a driving torque being ensured. Use is made of cylindrical rolling bodies which, for the purpose of transmitting large driving torques, may be advantageous in comparison with spherical rolling bodies due to the linear contact formed by the adjacent components.
In the case of components configured in such a manner, it may be disadvantageous that mechanical impairments of the transmission function may occur in the case of three-dimensional movements of a tripod joint, which, in the worst case, may result in the drive train vibrating and/or producing noise and in resultant impairments of comfort.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tripod joint which is improved with regard to the mechanical transmission properties.